Various analytical procedures and devices are commonly employed in assays to determine the presence and/or absence of analytes in a test sample. For instance, immunoassays utilize mechanisms of the immune systems, wherein antibodies are produced in response to the presence of antigens that are pathogenic or foreign to the organisms. These antibodies and antigens, i.e., immunoreactants, are capable of binding with one another, thereby causing a highly specific reaction mechanism that can be used to determine the presence or concentration of that particular antigen in a biological sample.
There are several well-known immunoassay methods that use immunoreactants labeled with a detectable component so that the analyte can be detected analytically. For example, “sandwich-type” assays typically involve mixing the test sample with antibodies to the analyte. These antibodies are mobile and linked to a label or probe, such as dyed latex, a colloidal metal sol, or a radioisotope. This mixture is then contacted with a chromatographic medium containing a band or zone of immobilized antibodies to the analyte. The chromatographic medium is often in the form of a strip resembling a dipstick. When the complex of the analyte and the labeled antibody reaches the zone of the immobilized antibodies on the chromatographic medium, binding occurs and the bound labeled antibodies are localized at the zone. This indicates the presence of the analyte. This technique can be used to obtain quantitative or semi-quantitative results. Some examples of such sandwich-type assays are described by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,168,146 to Grubb, et al. and 4,366,241 to Tom, et al.
An alternative technique is the “competitive-type” assay. In a “competitive-type” assay, the label is typically a labeled analyte or analyte-analogue that competes for binding of an antibody with any unlabeled analyte present in the sample. Competitive assays are typically used for detection of analytes such as haptens, each hapten being monovalent and capable of binding only one antibody molecule. Examples of competitive immunoassay devices are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,235,601 to Deutsch, et al., 4,442,204 to Liotta, and 5,208,535 to Buechler, et al.
Magnetic binding assays have been widely used for separation of biological species (e.g., proteins, cells, and micro-organisms) from complex samples because they can be easily manipulated by magnetic fields and require no special and expensive instruments. In this manner, magnetic immunoassays can provide a fast and simple technique to determine the presence or absence of the species. In such assays, various signal-generating mechanisms have been used, including color (absorption and reflectance), fluorescence, chemiluminescence, radioactivity and enzymes.
However, conventional magnetic immunoassays generally require control samples to generate a calibration curve each time they are used to obtain quantitative information for analytes. Specifically, when analyzing the presence or absence of a biological species within a test sample, multiple control samples are simultaneously tested for known amounts of the species in an attempt to calibrate the test assay at approximately the same conditions. Unfortunately, this calibration technique is often inconvenient, costly, and cumbersome on the tester.
As such, a need currently exists for an accurate calibration system for assays that is readily controllable and relatively inexpensive.